Lib Dems may lose half of their voters in next election: Poll

London, Dec 12 (ANI): The Liberal Democratic party in Britain is likely to lose nearly half of its voters in the next general election, according to a new poll.

The Telegraph quoted the findings of the poll as saying that 44 percent of Lib Dem Britons who voted for Nick Clegg's party in May say their view of the party has "got worse."

The polling, conducted by Lord Ashcroft, the former Tory deputy chairman, suggests that just 54 percent would back the Lib Dems in five years' time, while about 22 percent of Lib Dem voters say they would chose Labour.

Clegg's personal ratings have also reportedly collapsed since he decided to renege on his general election pledge to oppose any increase.

He is expected to face a big civil liberties battle next year over control orders, the controversial restrictions placed on terrorist suspects who cannot be prosecuted in court, which his party is united in wanting to see scrapped, the paper said.

There are clear signs that Theresa May, the Conservative Home Secretary, may back retaining the orders in some form, a move which would place massive new strain on the coalition.

Lord Ashcroft, who in his review of the Conservatives' election performance said it had been a mistake for Mr Cameron to agree to televised debates in which Clegg took part and criticised the Tories for failing to get their "message" across properly.

"The research found that these people now took a much more negative view of the party than Lib Dem voters as a whole. To them, the Lib Dems represented the purity of perpetual opposition," he added. (ANI)